Kate Middleton's Willingness To Raise Awareness About Addiction Is 'Still Quite Taboo & Echoes Princess Diana Getting Behind' Those Types Of Causes, Expert Notes
Oct. 26 2021, Published 1:37 p.m. ET
Even though Princess Diana is no longer here, it's safe to say she would be proud that Prince William's wife, Kate Middleton, is following in her footsteps.
Recently, the brunette beauty, 39, attended the launch of the Taking Action on Addiction campaign for The Forward Trust, where she gave a passionate and empowering speech about what people go through on a daily basis.
"Kate is very, very keen to raise awareness about things that are still quite taboo, and it echoes Diana, very early in the days of her royal career, getting behind causes like homelessness or HIV and AIDS that senior members of the royal family just weren't going for," Sunday Times royal editor Roya Nikkhah said. "I think addiction is still one of those issues that is perhaps slightly under the radar in terms of people being honest and talking about it."
At the event, Kate chatted with others, including I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here host Ant McPartlin, who spoke about his own addiction battle.
"Addiction is not a choice. No one chooses to become an addict. But it can happen to any one of us. None of us are immune. It is all too rarely discussed as a serious mental health condition and seldom do we take the time to uncover and fully understand its fundamental root causes," she stated in her speech. "The journey towards addiction is often multi-layered and complex. But, by recognizing what lies beneath addiction, we can help remove the taboo and shame that sadly surrounds it."
She added, "As a society, we need to start from a position of compassion and empathy. Where we nurture those around us, understand their journey, and what has come before them."
The mom-of-three also touched on the fact that the past year has been rough on everyone.
"The pandemic has had a devastating impact on addiction rates. And families and children are having to cope with addiction in greater numbers than ever before," she said. "We know that over one and a half million people across the U.K. who did not have substance misuse prior to lockdown may now be experiencing problems associated with increased alcohol consumption. Around 2 million individuals who were identified as being in recovery, may have experienced a relapse over the past 18 months."
